The president, Donald Trump, shortened his vacation in Florida and returned to Washington DC on Thursday,
a day earlier than expected and without explaining the reasons
, while Republican congressmen plan to hinder the certification of the victory of the president-elect, Joe Biden, next week.
The White House unveiled the abrupt change to the president's calendar Wednesday night,
hours after Sen. Josh Hawley
, R-Missouri, said he will raise objections when Congress meets Jan. 6 to certify the results. in favor of Biden in the November elections.
Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, departed on the Air Force One plane from the Palm Beach airport before noon Thursday to arrive in the capital in the afternoon.
After losing dozens of court cases, including before the Supreme Court, the certification of the results of the elections in Congress, on January 6, is
the last chance to defend their falsehoods
officially.
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It is the final step in the process of validating the results, after the Electoral College certified Biden's victory by 306 electoral votes against the 232 obtained by Trump.
Hawley and a group of Republicans in the Senate will attempt to question the Electoral College's count.
This could force a vote in both houses and delay the process,
but is not expected to prevent Biden from being sworn in
as president in January and Senator Kamala Harris as vice president.
[Biden accuses the Trump administration of blocking transition in key areas of national security]
Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska warned his party colleagues Thursday that what they were attempting was a
"dangerous tactic"
that could damage the nation's civic traditions.
A shortened vacation
Trump's change in plans means he
will miss the New Year's Eve party
he celebrates each year at Mar-a-Lago, even when guests were already at his golf club for the event and awaiting his presence, according to CNN.
Trump and Melania arrived at Mar-a-Lago's home after dark on December 23.
[This was the worst lie of the year. It cost lives, but it was not the only one. And there is not a single culprit]
The president criticized the Republican Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, and other state election officials almost daily on Twitter for their loss to Biden in that state.
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Trump also touched on Iran in a post on Twitter, amid growing fear of possible retaliation by the Iranian government for an assassination he ordered a year ago.
US officials said Thursday that the Pentagon has decided to
send home the Navy's only aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East
, amid heightened tensions with Iran.
However, Trump did not comment on major events such as the explosion of a car in Nashville, Tennessee, the discovery in California and Colorado of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus, and the death of an elected congressman from complications related to COVID-19.
Fear of possible retaliation from Iran
Trump's early return comes as tensions rise between the United States and Iran in the final weeks of his administration.
In Washington, concerns are growing about possible military retaliation for
the assassination by the United States of a high-ranking Iranian military commander
, General Qassem Soleimani.
It happened almost a year ago, on January 3, 2020, and was ordered by Trump.
[Iran's Supreme Leader vows retaliation after the assassination of its top nuclear scientist]
Iran's immediate response to the assassination was a ballistic missile attack on a military base in Iraq that caused brain injuries to about 100 American soldiers.
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On December 20,
Iran-backed Shiite militia groups launched an attack
on the US embassy complex in Baghdad.
No one died, but Trump said days later that Iran was aware.
“A friendly health advice for Iran: If an American dies, I will hold Iran responsible.
Think it over, ”Trump tweeted on December 23.
The Pentagon will remove the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, which was deployed from the United States in April, from the Middle East, it was announced Thursday.
[USA. intercepts four Iranian tankers bound for Venezuela: "Iran shouldn't be doing that," says Trump]
The decision, confirmed by three defense officials but not yet publicly announced, came a day after Air Force B-52 bombers flew nonstop from the United States to the Persian Gulf in a show of force that officials say military, was intended to
dissuade Iran from attacking the
United States.
With information from the Associated Press and CNN.